Brown-Driver-Briggs
מָתְנַ֫יִם noun masculine dual loins (Arabic
back,
the two sides of the back, etc.; Syriac
; — absolute
׳מ Deuteronomy 33:11 7t.,
מָתְנָ֑יִם Ezekiel 29:7;
Ezekiel 47:4; construct
מָתְנֵי Jeremiah 13:11 + 3t.; suffix
מָתְנַי Isaiah 21:3,
מָתְנָ֑י Jeremiah 13:2;
מָתְנֵיהֶם 1Kings +
Jeremiah 20:32 4t., etc.; —
loins: 1. a. place of wearing girdle 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 1:8; Jeremiah 13:1,2,4,11; Ezekiel 23:15; figurative Isaiah 11:5 righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins.
b. hence place of things attached to girdle: — sword girded on (חגר על, אסר 2 Samuel 20:8; Nehemiah 4:12; opposed to, וּמָתְנֵי מְלָכִים אֲפַתֵּחַ Isaiah 45:1 and the loins of kings I will loosen, i e. will disarm them (׳י before Cyrus; compare Che); ink-horn Ezekiel 9:2,3,11.
c. girding up loins = make ready for action, וַיְשַׁנֵּס מָתְנָיו 1 Kings 18:46; more often ׳חָגַר מ 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 9:1; Exodus 12:11 (P), Daniel 10:5; ׳אָזַר מ Jeremiah 1:17.
d. ׳זַרְזִיר מ Proverbs 30:31 that which is girt in the loins, i.e. probably either a greyhound Ew Bö De (contracted, as if by a belt), or a war-horse, charger, Bo Ges Hi Str Wild (with a saddle); compare also זרזיר, p. 267 above; text perhaps corrupt (Wild).
e. girded with sackcloth (in mourning) Genesis 37:34 (J), Amos 8:10; Isaiah 20:2; 1 Kings 20:31,32; Jeremiah 48:37.
f. linen breeches of priests were to extend מִמָּתְנַיִם וְעַד יְרֵכַיִם Exodus 28:42 (P); to be ׳עַלמָֿת Ezekiel 44:18; loins of slaves are girt with waistcloth, compare Job 12:18 (see also אֵזוֺר).
g. in General of the middle of the body, ׳מֵי מָת Ezekiel 47:4 (i.e. water reaching to the loins); so of the appearance of ׳י in Ezekiel's visions Ezekiel 1:27 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 8:2 (twice in verse).
2. a. loins as seat of strength, Deuteronomy 33:11; 1 Kings 12:10 2Chronicles 10:10; חַזֵּק מָתְנַיִם Nahum 2:2 ("" אַמֵּץ כֹּחַ); כֹּחוֺ בְּמָתְנָיו Job 40:16 (of hippopotamus); in combination with 1a (figurative) חָֽגְרָה ׳בְּעוֺז מ Proverbs 31:17 she girdeth her loins with strength, she puts on energy with her girdle; compare also ׳בְּשִׁבְרוֺן מ Ezekiel 21:11 sigh with breaking of loins, i.e. in entire collapse of strength; so תָּמִיד ׳הַמְעַ֑ד וּמ Psalm 69:24 and make their loins continually to shake, make them totter; compare Ezekiel 29:7 (where read וְהִמְעַדְתָּ for וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ, see מָעַד).
b. as seat of keenest pain, due to grief or dread Nahum 2:11; Isaiah 21:3 (as in travail); so probably also Psalm 66:11 (compare Bae; and see מוּעָקָה below עוק).
